Track-scale.



PATENTED MAY 7, 1907. J. A. RISHEL.

TRACK SCALE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.29.1903.

s SHBETSSHEBT 1.

R O T N E V m WITNESSEQ n15 NORRIS PETERS 50,, WASHINGTON. u c.

PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

J A. RISHEL. TRACK SCALE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.29,1903.

3 SHEETS-$111131 2.

yesszs I PATENTED MAY '7, 1907.

J. A. RISHEL.

TRACK SCALE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 29,1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITH ESSES 1H5 NORRIS PETERS cm, WASHINGTON, 0 c

JOHN A. RISHEL, or HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRACK-SCALE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1907.

Application filed August 29,1903. Serial No. 171,191.

To a Lu/tom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. ItIsriEL, of Homestead, Allegheny county,Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful 'lrack-Scale, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, inwhich Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved device; Fig. 2 is a sideelevation, and Fig. 3 a vertical cross-section on the line III*III ofFig. l.

not used for weighing.

lleretofore in the construction of railway track scales it has been thepractice to em. ploy two sets of rails, one set mounted directly on theplatform of the scales and,

adapted to receive the cars during the weighing operation and the othersetl nown as the dead rails mounted on posts or supports independent ofthe platform and adapted for the passage of the cars when the scales areThe difficulty in this arrangement has been that it requires switchesfor switching the cars to and from the platform track, and that whentrainmen carelessly fail to set the switch the trains pass over theplatform track when the scales are not in use, thereby jarring andinjuring the scale mechanism. My invention prevents these difficultiesand provides means by which the dead rails can be dispensed with and. asingle set of rails employed on which the cars rest during the weighingoperation, and over which they can be passed with safety when the scalesare'not in .use.

I provide the platform of the scales with a supporting device which canbe raised when the scales are not in use, and whether a car is standingon the platform or not, so as to support the platform and relieve itsweight from the scale beams. When the platform is thus supported trainscan pass over it without transmitting pressure to the scale beams andbearings. The mechanism by which this support is operated is preferablyextended into the ollice of the weigh-master so that it cannot betampered with and the scales im properly put out of their supportedcondition.

In the drawing, which shows the preferred form of my apparatus, 2represents the platform of the scale on which are set the track rails 3,3. This platform is connected to the scale beams B in the ordinary way.Beneath it is a series of eccentrics 4, 4, journaled in bearings onfixed supports 5, 5 and connected by a rod 6 so that they will operatetogether. They are operated by lever 7 connected by a rod 8 or othermechanism to an operating lever -9 which is located in the o'flice ofthe weigh-master, the dotted lines 10 in Fig. 1 representing the officebuilding.

When the scale is to be brought into weighing position, the eccentrics 4are turned by operation of the lever 9 so as to bring their surfacesbelow theplatform and to permit the platform to be supported by thescale beams as shown in Fig. 2. F or this purpose the greatest radius ofeach eccentric is such that when it is brought into operative positionit *ill make contact with and support the platform without lifting it. Iam thus en abled to bring the eccentrics into action without need oflifting the platform and therefore with very little exertion on the partof the operator and without the use of complicated mechanicalconnections for operating the eccentrics.

The cars to be weighed can then be drawn upon the scales, and when theweighing is finished and the scales are to be put out of action, theeccentrics are moved in the reverse direction by operation of the lever9 so as to bring them into supporting contact with the bottom of theplatform. The platform is then supported by the eccentrics and cars andheavy locomotives can be drawn over it without operating the scales orcausing injury to the scale mechanism. I am thus enabled to interpose ascale platform directly in the line of the railway track without theemployment of switches and to operate the scales without requiring theattention of the trainmen to put them into or out of action.

Instead of eccentrics other equivalent mechanism may be used forsupporting the platform, since What I claim is A support for track-scaleplatforms consisting of a series of rotatable eccentrics arrangedbeneath the platform and adapted to support without raising saidplatform when the points of greatest throw of said eccentrics arevertically above their centers of rotation, and means for rotating saideccentrics; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN A. RISHEL. Witnesses GEO. B. BLEMING, L. A. CONNER, Jr.

